We are in top 5% of UK earners but can't afford to buy a 3-bedroom house

A social media post that lays bare the stark reality of living costs in the UK has captured the internet's attention, after a couple with high earnings confessed they might face homelessness within months.

The message was circulated by the renowned Twitter account @Fesshole, which commands a following of one million users and serves as a platform for British people to anonymously air their private confessions and cringe-worthy tales. The disclosure read: "I don't think people realise just how bad things are in the UK. My wife and I are 40. No kids. Both started with nothing but now in the top 5% of earners. We can just afford a small 2-bedroom house, but would be homeless in a few months if we both lost our jobs."

The tweet, seen by an audience of 1.4 million and amassing over 14,000 likes, spurred a flurry of reactions from users. A fraction of responders suggested there exist areas within the UK where housing remains affordable.

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Yet, other voices in the thread aligned with the disheartened pair, pointing fingers at climbing expenses as the culprits for diminishing living standards.

Amidst the public discourse, one supporter of the duo commented: "All the comments saying it's cheaper here or there missing the point. Yes you can go to extremes and say there are people starving in Africa, but everything is relative. The issue is that salary would have been enough for a very comfortable life just a few years ago and the cost of living has skyrocketed.", reports the Mirror.

Concurrently, another commentator chimed in with: "I believe the vast majority of working people are only two months away from being broke."

Responses to the couple's financial woes were mixed, with some criticising their money management. One sceptical individual commented: "If that really is true, you need help with your financial management. If you have no savings to protect [you] from losing your jobs with no buffer with no major outgoings apart from housing, it isn't reasonable to blame the UK."

Amidst speculation, many surmised that their fiscal troubles stemmed from residing in the capital, with a leading comment advising: "Move out of London then."

The situation emerges as Prime Minister Keir Starmer endures criticism following his move to cut winter fuel payments for numerous pensioners, prompting concern from charities and the public over the intensification of the cost of living crisis affecting myriad UK households.

Charity Age UK, foreseeing that approximately 2.5million low-income pensioners could be disadvantaged, expressed their dismay, however, unsurprised at the policy's adoption. Charity director Caroline Abrahams remarked: "The reality is that driving through this policy as the Government is doing will make millions of poor pensioners poorer still and we are baffled as to why some Ministers are asserting that this is the right thing to do."